Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

Venue:

O2 Arena, London

Date:

4-11 November

Coverage:

BBC TV: One singles match each day live; BBC Radio: Every afternoon singles match live on 5 live sports extra; BBC Sport website: One singles match each day streamed online, live text commentary on every singles match

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will vie for the year-end number one ranking as London hosts the ATP World Tour Finals for the fifth time.

Who are the contenders?

Rafael Nadal: Virtually unstoppable from February until September and justifiably the world number one - but will he be able to impose himself on London's fast indoor courts?

Novak Djokovic: Awesomely consistent in all the big events, the defending champion will be hard to stop after a golden autumnal spell.

Roger Federer: Stunning defeats at both Wimbledon and the US Open made headline news around the world, but on an indoor court and with genius in his veins, anything is possible.

David Ferrer: Reaching this year's French Open Final was just reward for a lifetime of excellence: is last week's victory over Nadal in Paris a sign he can start to land some meaningful blows on the (very few) players ranked above him?

Juan Martin Del Potro: A Grand Slam champion and a ferociously hard hitter, the Argentine is in form and a genuine title contender.

Tomas Berdych: Remarkably consistent, and dangerous on his day, but yet to prove he can consistently outplay the best on the biggest stage.

Stanislas Wawrinka: The Swiss has had a breakthrough year after beating Andy Murray to reach the semi-finals of the US Open. And at 28, he could just be coming into his prime.

Richard Gasquet: Phenomenally talented, and hopefully fuelled by greater self-belief after reaching the semi-finals of the US Open.

After winning the French and US Open titles since returning from injury in February, Nadal will clinch the year-end number one ranking if he wins two matches in London.

The task facing Djokovic would remain considerable even if the Spaniard fails, as he would need to win the title in London and go unbeaten in the Davis Cup final later this month.

"It doesn't just depend on me, it depends on Rafa," said the Serb.

"It's very important for me to concentrate on myself and let things take care of themselves. I've taken a lot of confidence from this week [in Paris]."

Despite Murray's absence, tournament organisers say ticket sales for the two daily sessions at the 17,800-capacity arena have matched those of previous years, with the likes of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer proving a huge draw in autumnal London.

Federer is ranked seventh in the world after a disappointing year, but says he is now over the back problems that hindered him and that his confidence is returning as he targets a seventh win in the ATP showpiece.

ATP World Tour Finals

Round-robin format, top two from each group go through to knockout stage

Whether any of the five remaining finalists can challenge for the title is open to question, with the first day likely to give a strong indication of the main contenders.

Czech number one Berdych and Switzerland's Wawrinka, both 28, have reached career-high rankings in 2013 but with losing records against Nadal and Ferrer, neither can afford a poor start to Group A on Monday.

Argentina's Del Potro, 25, returns to a city where he has enjoyed notable success, both at the O2 Arena and at Wimbledon, while Frenchman Gasquet, 27, last made the finals six years ago in Shanghai and has worked hard in recent weeks to secure his return.

The top eight doubles teams in the world will also be in action, although there will be no Britons despite encouraging seasons for Jamie Murray, Dom Inglot, Colin Fleming and Jonny Marray.